History of steam power
This page chronicles the history of the development of steam power and steam engines in Raidenoff. First uses (5th century) Although various early thinkers proposed devices powered by steam, it was not until the late fourth century DR that steam-powered machines with practical uses were invented. Many of the earliest steam-powered machines are from eastern Amitrea— the eastern shores of the Diamond Bay are commonly marshy, and the inland areas had rich deposits of metals that could be easily mined. The first practical steam engine was completed by Ragnvald Vaskdel, a Stadlicar mining foreman, in 479 DR. The Vaskdel engine was used for draining mines, but it did not see widespread adoption; the government of Kommendor Harald VI was largely uninterested in Vaskdel's design. Harald's successor, Gunnar VIII, was more interested in the potential of the Vaskdel engine; however, Gunnar's attempts to award Vaskdel a patent in 490 were ineffective. In the interim between the completion of the Vaskdel engine and Gunnar's patent, the design of the Vaskdel engine had been released and several other companies were imitating the design. The official Vaskdel engine, as the steam engine sanctioned by the Stadlicar monarchy, became the most successful and widespread design; however, outside of Stadleck, attempts were made to improve the design. Design development (early 6th century) One of the first substantial improvements on the Vaskdel engine was developed in East Yorna in 508, by the smith Gyorgy Ovsem. The Ovsem engine was designed more efficiently, allowing drainage from greater depths and at higher speeds; it also included a system that automatically opened and closed the engine's valves. This allowed the Ovsem engine to be used easily, since the user only needed to stoke the fire to sustain the engine. Another significant development came in Creofan in 516. Antso Orbeves, an ironworker in the northwest of the nation, was the first recorded person to power a water wheel with steam power; this made it more efficient to smelt iron from ore, and led other innovators to try using steam engines in other capacities. Thus, by 550, the steam engine was used in a variety of capacities: in addition to water drainage and ironworks, steam power was used in other types of mills and in wells throughout Amitrea. Spread to Alarea (mid-6th century) Benedict Harquess, the grandson of Dorian king Albus V, became interested in steam engines in the 540s. He spent two years in Amitrea, learning from steamworkers in Stadleck and Creofan, and returned to Alarea with copious notes about their devices. Steam power first became well-known in Alarea after the Crown of the Ages festival in 550, during which Benedict showed off a small steam engine. Through the 550s, the steam engine was largely seen by Alareans as a curiosity; however, when Benedict ascended the throne as King Benedict V, he began commissioning a large quantity of steam engines. The most significant impact of Benedict's campaign was the discovery of Virgil Eusen, a Legunar laborer who had started working with steam engines to clear swampland. In 565, Eusen presented a set of diagrams he had made to the Dorian Steam Engine Committee; these outlined an engine with a separate condenser, a design Eusen lacked the funds to create in practice. Intrigued, Benedict commissioned a Eusen engine, which was successfully completed in 567. In testing, the Eusen engine was found to be the most effective steam engine yet, and its design quickly spread. Steam transit (late 6th century) With the increased power brought about by the Eusen engine, steamworkers began attempting to use the steam engine to power transportation devices. In Bicana, a predominantly naval state, experimentation began with steam-powered boats; meanwhile, in Amitrea, miners began using steam engines to more efficiently move minecarts. The first steamboat to make a successful voyage was the Tordiac, named for the wife of Angelos Bartos, which sailed up the Virocoth River in 573. The first successful ocean voyage was made by the Atminoscaph in 578, sailing from Arphisport to Gratium. Steam-powered minecarts began being used in the mid-570s in Stadleck and the Yornas; however, rails were a relatively recent innovation, and they were frequently broken by steam carts. Rail designs were improved throughout the 580s, however, and steam carts became increasingly viable. By 590, the most advanced mines had steam carts that could follow rails without any direct guidance by humans or livestock. In the last decade, the Golden Quintet nations have started increasing production of steamships. The nations of Amitrea have been largely focusing on refining the design of the steam cart, and designs for a locomotive are in development. A railway is currently being constructed between Maakor and the nearby city of Legnholm, and it is estimated that the first rail journey will be undertaken in the autumn of 601. Category:History